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Nike to Replace Umbro for England Football National Team?

Hi everyone,Huge news today. Nike is supposedly on the verge to replace Umbro as official kit supplier for the England National Team. According to various sources, Nike could launch a new England kit as early as next May despite the contract linking Umbro to the England football team until 2018.A lots of “could”, “may”, “potentially” outline the uncertainty of this deal. According to Sportsmail, FA officials were last week ready to announce that a relationship with Manchester-based manufacturer Umbro was about to be terminated. And while the FA refused to comment, Sportsmail understands an agreement has been reached for Nike to take over.

Umbro’s link with England dates back to the 1950s, and their £20million a year deal runs until 2018.

It stipulated that only Umbro could supply the England team. But Nike announced in May their plan to sell Umbro – having bought them in 2007 for £285m – and made a proposal to the FA that the governing body seem ready to accept.

In a move first mooted in Sportsmail’s Sports Agenda column, Nike offered the FA the chance to sign a lucrative new deal or stay with a company facing an uncertain future, given how important the England contract has been to the brand for so many years.

Well, if Nike does sign the England Football team, the Beaverton firm would have stripped Umbro from its major football assets and made a significant step in grabbing more football market shares from its rival adidas in the process.

Remember that England is one of the most lucrative Federation on a replica sales standpoint, a decisive element to consider.

After taking over French National team from adidas for €42.6 m a year -if the deal with the England FA goes through – Nike will expand its football footprint significantly…..to the point of becoming the leading football brand?